Maire Brennan - Whisper To The Wild Water

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

"Perfect Time" was exquisite, but if it had one fault it was that repeated plays showed a samey-ness of many of the tracks. But this breathtaking sequel is near faultless. The opening track "Follow The Word", with its deft interjections of Irish reel, still retains all that ethereal cushion of introspection that has become Maire's (and indeed sister Enya's) trademark, is to my ears the finest thing either Maire or Clannad have ever recorded. After such a dazzling opener, one might have wondered if such delights could be sustained throughout. They are. "Where I Stand" is an exquisite ballad, "Hard To Break The Seal" has an infectious undulating rhythm while her sadly short closer, a version of "Be Thou My Vision" using the Gaelic words of her late grandfather Hugh Duggan is breathtakingly lovely, and shows that, despite the seeming dozens of versions of the hymn since the Celtic revival took hold, there is still room for Maire's rendition. Even the questionable tactic of getting her son to speak some Gaelic words (based on Francis Of Assisi's "Make Me An Instrument" prayer) works. In an age of urban bustle and technological overkill, this most gifted singer/songwriter continues to give us material shining with a peace-filled spirit.